[His_Suzuki]

Gixxerboy,

If you look at the Yamaha R1 screensaver you will see how far to lean a bike over. The dude is scrapping his elbow
Does your bike feel comfortable when leaned over? Do you make the turns? Are you comfortable with your turns? That is all that matters. So what if your friend hangs his body off the bike and drags his knees. If you have leather's with the knee pucks then try 'em a couple of times - it takes some getting used to. There is no "one" perfect riding style.

------------------
Todd Hoffmaster
'00 Katana 600
38 speeding tickets and still counting

 

[gixxerboy]

maN~! i was wondering how far down do you all get your bikes in the twisties.. i was told you can judge how low a rider goes by how much fresh rubber is like worn on the to the edge of his or her.. tires.. my is worn all the way to the edge.. theres only like half a centimeter left and i was told by some people that you dont want to go too far because you can lose it easier at that edge.. I looked at his tires on his zx6r and it wasn't that far to the edge, on the rear tire.. and he used to be a semi professional racer in china. Anyhow, am i riding wrong?.. well not wrong, but not gettin off the bike far enough,(meaning am i leaning it down too far and not getting far enough off the bike?).. info would help.. hehe.. gotta be able to hang in the twisties. im fairly new to this game.. although i can hold my own... im young.. .. hehe..


jos F theDRagon

------------------
where da girls at?

 

[jrm]

In Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist-II, he goes into leaning the rider, instead of so much the bike. He explains way better than I do and has far more clout--check the book out.

------------------

 

[Netshark]

Check out the "riding tips" post.

------------------

 

[VYPIR]

Well I scaped the tail cowling but that doesn't count.

I tend to keep about 5mm or so away from the edge. I don't drag my knees through turns yet I pass people that do. I think it comes down to your confidence going through the turn. If you feel good about it and are holding you line keep it up. Besides you'll know when your at the very edge by the sudden sideways movement!

------------------
You get the best thrills on two wheels!

 

[gixxerboy]

Thanks guys for your help and replys... im not worried that my freind wit a yamaha leans farther off hiis bike then me. he juss gets to ride a canyon to work everyday.. so hes more used to it.. im coo with how im riding.. and yeah i am trying to get off the bike way more.. instead of leaning the bike.. i learn more and more everytime i get out.. was juss out on Muholland hwy and at the rockks storre this past sunday.. i luv that ride. i dont drag my knee cuz i dont hvae leathers.. and dont want no hole in my jeans ... but i'll have some when iget to willowsprings for a race schooL. and i will definately check out the "riding tips" and the book.. you guys suggested..

cornering as hard as he can .. for now..

jos f theDRAgon

------------------
where da girls at?

 

[JohnF4]

Hey Gixxerboy,

Unless you are on the track, try not to worry so much about how far down you get it on the street.

I used to worry about my 3/4 inch "chicken-strips" on either side of my rear tire on my F4 and I was always trying to lean hard to wear those out on the street.

Well one day while leaned way over, some cager decided he had enough time to jump out in front of me from a side street while I was hard in the corner, and I just barely managed to miss him, but nearly totalled my F4 in the process ($5500 worth of damage).

I now have my fixed F4 back, but I've realized that I have no business getting that leaned over on the street.

If you really want to lean the bike over, go on the track where you're sure there's no gravel or idiot cagers, if you keep trying to drag the hero blobs on the street one day you might run into gravel or an idiot cager like I did, and the consequenses are not pretty.

I'm now more concerned with enjoying the fact that I can still enjoy and ride my F4 and someday I will wear out the last edges of the tires on the track under controlled circumstances.

Hope you don't have to learn that lesson in such a hard way.

--John

------------------

Joao "John" Silva

"If my F4 is supposed to be comfortable on long trips I'd hate to feel my ass after 400 miles on an R6"

 

[gixxerboy]

yO john.. thanks for the advice.. i'll always keep that inmind.. im not worried about eating up the"chicken strips" on the side of my tire.. since i only have about i'd say.. less than a 1/4" left.. but i would luv to hit the tracks.. juss not there yet.. and we do most of our leaning in the canyons.. where there are a lot less cars.. but still mad gravel everywhere.. i hear ya .. and sure i dont want to lay my baby down..sorry to hear about yours..

jos F theGoldenboy


------------------
where da girls at?

 

[Palomar ZX-6R]

I actually don't have any chicken strips front or back. I don't drag my knees though. One reason for not having chicken strips is due to me staying centered on the bike and leaning more to make turns. I have seen many people knee draggin and they have major chicken strips. I don't speed around corners all over the place but when riding up mountains like Palomar that has 180+ degree sweepers get tend to get leaned over pretty far. I'm sure I could get my knee down but what for... I like the lean factor.

------------------
Paul

 

[NCVFR]

I think you will find you have much more traction than you are able to use. The really fast guys I know, that crash occasionally, lever the tires off the ground by dragging hard parts. I use my entire rear tire and all but about 1/8 inch of my front on either side. My VFR is setup with about 1 1/4 inches of static sag in the rear. This results in dragging the peg feelers when leaning over hard. I have never gotten close to dragging my knees.

I have worn my last 2 front tires out on the outside before I wear the centers to the wear markers. I have been getting a lot of rubber balled up on the outside 1/3 of the fronts, D207's.

------------------

 

[SpeedPhreak]

i dont get to far off on the street if at all but have scraped pegs. on the track i regularly scrape pegs & had a lowside crash due to the fact i ran out of tire.. u could follow the "chicken strip" from about 1/8" tapered to nothing. i was on street compound 207's though.. not the track gp's.

------------------

 

[Cosmo]

'Sup? Someone above said it very well "I don't get my knee down much because I stay centered on the bike a lot". Ditto here. It's amazing how far you can lean over the bike while actually keeping your butt in the middle of the seat. It's true. I ride w/this guy who has a track beater. He's ridden in a couple of amateur races. The bike's not even street legal. He hangs his butt off the seat for the slightest little turn. Says "I learned that on the track". Oooooh, I'm impressed. Not! Not comparing bikes (honest) he has a '97 GSXR 750, that has some god-awful above 12,000 rpm jet kit and I've got my Kat. I hang w/this guy on every single turn. No matter how fast. Without my ass completely off the bike. In defense of the ass-off-the-seat stuff, yes, I've done it. One day we were out riding in the twisties. Really gettin on it. I was feeling exceptionally sharp (stupid, maybe ) that day. We were leaning it over so far and going so fast that I had to hang off the seat just to keep it on the road. I was dragging the darn center stand, as well as the pegs on the right side. But, I digress. My point, as was said above, is that you can lean over incredibly far without hanging off the seat. Try it. It works best if you hug the tank tightly w/your knees. It's been real. It's been fun. It's even been real fun! Bye for now.

------------------
Cosmo
"Do you know how fast you were going, son?" "Gee officer, if I guess right, can I go home?"

 

[SpeedPhreak]

lean angle has nothing to do w/hanging off. its possible to lean just as far staying on the bike as it is hanging off... ive scraped pegs hanging off & staying centered.

the point to hanging off is to change the center of gravity (i think thats what its called). when u hang off u will turn sharper for the same amount of lean angle than u would if u stayed centered... kinda like an outrigger sail boat... thats the point of hanging off.. higher corner speed by maximizing lean angle.

------------------

 

[SpeedPhreak]

ps..

one of the main reasons to get your knee down is it acts as a feeler to judge your lean angle. also it can help save a lowside by supporting the bike with your leg. & help controll a 2 wheel slide as well.

------------------